Peripheral
by LivvieLocke
Summary: Set right after Spin The Bottle, Xander is sent to L.A. on Buffy's orders to get books on how to defeat The First. Once there, he notices that Cordelia is hardly herself. Fix it of S4. CA
1. Chapter 1

Title: Peripheral (Part One: Xander)

Title: Peripheral (Part One: Xander)

Author: xlivvielockex

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action-adventure, humor, bit of angst. It has it all.

Prompts Used: An "ex" visits, mystical circle, Eternal Flame by The Bangles

Summary: Set right after Spin The Bottle, Xander is sent to L.A. on Buffy's orders to get books on how to defeat The First. Once there, he notices that Cordelia is hardly herself.

Notes: I went a little nutty with the style here. The first part is seen through Xander's eyes. The second part through Angel's. The third part through Cordelia's. Total word count: 11,908. HUGE thanks to boynamedsusie who gave up time on Potter weekend to beta for me.

_ANGEL: Cordelia. Were we in love? _

_CORDELIA: We were. _

_-Spin The Bottle _

Xander Harris could think of a thousand reasons why he should not be driving to Los Angeles at this moment. Buffy with a house full of Potentials with even more Bringers after them. Something evil that could take the form of any dead person. Not to mention the crazy preacher. The last thing he had wanted was to be ushered out of the house on Revello drive, shoved into a sedan, and told to go to Los Angeles to retrieve a book. Apparently, either Angel hadn't heard of FedEx or he was so busy brooding that he couldn't pick up the phone.

He parked just outside of the hotel, noting the number of cars already lining the curb. Seemed like Angel was having a party or something. Yippie. Hopefully he didn't get too happy with his partying as the world was ending in Sunnydale. He checked the address Willow had given him one more time. The place was huge. Of course. Angel gets the girl, Angel gets the mansion, Angel gets the cool car, and Angel gets the giant office slash hotel.

He got out of the car, giving a quick look around the hotel before he made his way inside. He paused when he saw the trio in the lobby. Two unfamiliar faces and one familiar face that had changed a lot from the bumbling Watcher he had known in Sunnydale. Willow had said Wes was different but this was way different. He watched for a moment as they cleaned up before he spoke.

"Looks like you guys had a party in here. Broken bottles, symbols on the floor, like a regular culty good time."

The girl was the first to turn, regarding Xander strangely. There was some flicker of recognition in her eyes but not enough for her to remember who he was apparently. The big, very big, black guy was the first to speak.

"We help you?"

"Yeah, looking for the big brooder himself here…"

"Gunn, it is alright. This is Xander. He is from Sunnydale." Xander was relieved that Wes had decided to speak up. He had caught sight of the scar across his neck, not sure if the guy could even talk. Hazard of the job apparently. He had his share of battle scars too.

The black guy, Gunn, snorted and picked up something off the floor. "Muffy die again?"

"Hey buddy, can you take it down with the object hatred? Her name is Buffy and no, she isn't dead. Just sent me to see if you guys had a couple of books is all."

"That is English's department." Gunn replied with a crook of his finger towards Wes. He was keeping a wide distance from the man though and the girl, well, she was staying quiet.

"Yes, it might be best not to discuss these matters here, Xander. Perhaps if you gave me a list, I can see if I have any of them." Wesley held a hand out, waiting for the list. Xander knew that the former Watcher had to know that if it was bad enough for Buffy to send him all the way here, it was really bad.

Xander began to dig in his pockets, trying to find the list. Looking down, he didn't notice as a woman coming down the stairs nearly bowled him over in order to get to the door. He grabbed her to stop the collision out of pure instinct. It wasn't until he paused and looked up that he saw yet another familiar face, one that had changed dramatically over time.

"Cordy?"

Xander saw something then, something that flashed in her eyes, something that well…he had seen evil before and this was evil. He frowned deeply. He was expecting either a hug or a slap in the face. Or at the very least, he was expecting some of Cordelia's razor sharp wit. What he wasn't expecting was the silence that hung between them or the glare that Angel was giving him from the top of the stairs.

"Cordy?" He had to repeat her name. Something had to break that spell. Cordelia, not the nicest girl in Sunnydale history, but she had had her fleeting moments of compassion. But nothing could explain the second cloud that passed over her eyes as she pulled herself from Xander.

"Xander…I…I need to be alone." She finally yanked herself free, turning away from him and pushing the doors open.

He watched her go before turning back to the group. Either she changed a lot or there was something going on here. He had felt her, so he knew she wasn't First evil brewing here. "Some welcome I am getting here. You'd think I killed a basket of cuddly puppies in front of your mothers or something."

Wesley spoke up. "We have all been through a lot the past few months, Xander. Things have been…complicated."

Xander's reply was cut short before it ever left his lips as he heard his "favorite" person in the world's voice. And here he had thought Dead Boy was just going to stand at the top of the stairs and glare all night.

"What are you doing here, Xander?" Xander hadn't missed the patented Angel scowl that was all over the vampire's face right now. Angel was not happy to see him in the slightest. Big surprise, he wasn't happy to see him either.

"Buffy sent me for some books. Big trouble brewing in Sunnydale. You know, of the Apocalypse kind. The First."

"Is everyone okay?"

Now that was odd. Really odd. He expected Angel to ask specifically about Buffy as in was Buffy okay. Instead he threw a curveball out and asked about everyone. He felt like he just walked into crazy town. "House full of Potential Slayers that The First's goons are killing off one by one…I'd say we are good."

"I'll see what we have in the office." Angel, always the perfect and friendly host.

The vampire passed Xander and headed into the lobby. Xander dug into his pockets once more. "I got a list." He finally found the paper and held it out. Angel continued giving him the cold shoulder despite being just a few feet away, so Wesley took the list instead, looking it over.

"I have a few of these. The Cyridian Codex for one."

"I think I must have walked in on big to do that is none of my business land here. Cordelia was…" Xander just trailed off as he felt four pairs of eyes on him.

"Cordelia has been…going through a great deal of difficulty." Wesley replied before folding the list and putting it into his jacket pocket. "We should be going if you want these books, Xander."

"Who's the new guy?"

Xander looked up as he saw yet another unfamiliar face. Angel had his own little group of Scoobies. They all looked like they'd been sucking on lemons too. Could call them the Lemonheads. He suppressed a chuckle at that thought. Will'd think it was funny. He'd have to tell her when he got back.

"Connor, this is Xander. He is from Sunnydale." Wesley had to answer since Angel had retreated to his office, door now closed.

The teenager sniffed the air slightly. Angel had acquired a weird group, that was for sure. "Human." That's it. That was all the kid said.

"And proud of it." Xander puffed his chest out some. He glanced back to the door though, worried about Cordy.

"I am going after Cordy. Make sure she is okay." At least the boy wonder knew more than five words. That was a plus.

He had a feeling that was the kind of guy that Dawn would think was cute. All with the brooding and the heavy brow and the punk attitude. Teenaged girls love that sort of thing. Did Cordy? Naw, he pushed that thought quickly out of his head. Cordy liked to pretend to date the jocks, but he knew deep down she dug a little of the dork loving. She loved him, hadn't she? Hadn't she? He wasn't so sure now, with the look he had seen in her eyes. If anyone around this place would know what was going on with her, it would be that Bronsony look alike. Though now Wes was looking more like the Connery version of Bond, more dark and smarmy.

"Well, that was a bust, cupcakes."

Xander's head turned as he heard yet another voice. Red eyed, red horned, green skinned demon. DEMON! Xander jumped back. "Woah, hey, demon. Why is no one making with the killing and the slaughtering and the funny quipping?"

It was clear from Wesley's face that he was getting exasperated. It wasn't his fault that Buffy didn't warn him. If she even knew. He wasn't sure where the calling Angel was fitting in with the whole sexing Spike up and then later taking care of crazy Spike thing.

"This is Lorne. He is an empath demon. He won't hurt you. Or anything else for that matter." Wesley said. Fred and Gunn had quickly disappeared as soon as Angel had appeared on the top of the stairs.

"The only thing I want to kill right now is a Sea Breeze, darling." This Lorne guy moved past Xander to the front desk. They were working with demons now. Okay, so Buffy didn't kill Clem or Anya but those were different. Anya used to be different and it was his fault she went back to the vengeance and Clem, well Clem was just Clem. Fried chicken loving Clem. So this was their Clem. Only he was mixing drinks behind the front desk and his suit looked like this mumu his Aunt used to wear only in suit form.

"We really should be going, Xander." Wesley began to move towards him, to help usher him out the door. Angel still hadn't come out of his office. "You can follow me in your car so you can leave as soon as you get the books."

Xander didn't want to sit on the couch in Wesley's apartment. With all the weapons lying around, he was worried that he was going to sit down, trigger something, and get shot in the buttocks, as Forrest Gump would say. Or get shot even worse. Get shot in a place that he planned to use later with some lucky lady if they survived the Apocalypse. If…they always survived.

"Would you like something to drink while I finish getting these books? There is whiskey on the table." Wesley kept his back to him as he scanned the bookshelf, looking back to the list every now and again.

"Drinking and driving baaad. Or did you miss that day during Watcher training? Xander drinky, Xander crashy, world endy." He quipped back.

"Yes, well, you will find that sometimes the worst things in life, like a good drink and a bad woman, can be exactly what you need."

"So…" Xander figured it was now or never. It was time to go into the breach. "What happened with Cordy? She didn't exactly seem overjoyed to see me. Well, nobody did. But I thought we parted on the good terms. She still talked to Willow, you know, the whole keeping in touch thing. If she can forgive Willow, I figure I am right next on that list."

"Cordelia…has been through a great deal."

"Yeah, said that before. Was kind of looking for specifics here. Pretty clear that Angel just wants to brood in his office so that hasn't changed. He was never that good with ponying up the info or the talking thing, unless it was talking with your fists variety."

Wesley did that sigh thing once more. Oh yeah, that was exasperation. "It would probably be best if you knew if only to keep you quiet while I finish getting together these books."

Xander stood there, listening carefully as Wesley reviewed all the details of what had happened to Cordelia since she left Sunnydale. Xander knew all about her losing her money and not exactly being the famous actress. But no one had bothered to tell him about her getting visions that nearly killed her or her getting demonized or going to a higher plane of existence and disappearing for months only to come back with no memory at all. Then tonight, well, Xander had walked right in on a big party of confusion and crazy in trying to get her memory back.

"That explains it then." He wasn't sure what else to say.

"Explains what, exactly?" Wesley moved back to the bookcase to begin retrieving the volumes again. As he found each one, he set it on the table nearby. It was clear that he wasn't going to pay attention but hey, Xander was going to tell him anyway.

"Cordelia. When she looked at me. She wasn't…herself."

Well, that was enough to make Wesley pause in the middle of grabbing a book. He looked back to Xander. "Not herself, how?"

"In her eyes. You know. Cordy always had that sparkle in her. You didn't know if she was going to kiss you or verbally gut you or both. That sunshine, little trick of the light. Wasn't there tonight. All that was there was…"

"Was what, Xander?" Wesley put the book down, moving closer to the young man.

"This is going to sound crazy, but I saw evil. I have looked evil in the eye plenty of times and then run away. I even saw evil in my best friend's eyes. And what I saw in there, it was more evil then when Willow tried to end the world. It was full on dark juju."

"Willow tried to end the world?"

They were really going to have to start communicating a little better with each other. Xander just nodded his head. Wesley moved to sit down, reaching for the whiskey bottle. He unscrewed the top, tossed it aside, and took a big swig from the bottle.

"Woah there. You might want to slow down. Your liver will thank you later." He might not have been the best or the brightest, but he was smart enough not to take the bottle from Wesley. He didn't get an answer from the man, just another pull from the bottle.

"You know Cordelia too. When was the last time she ever wanted to be alone? She was miss I'd rather be alone surrounded by people than just alone. Now she goes tearing out of that place like it was on fire. And hey, I got no hug or insult. That is just not Cordy." He continued because he was basically talking to himself now. He had to wonder why her friends, those who had spent years with her, couldn't see it.

Again, Wesley was silent, finding his answer in that bottle instead of giving one to Xander.

"Maybe something big put the mojo on her and it put something on you guys as well." He paused for a moment, his brain recalling something. "Her outfit. No way would Cordelia go for the flowy blousy thing and the pants with the big…" He lifted his leg up, moving his hands around his ankles. "Tight…god, she always loved those tight clothes." He sighed softly, caught just slightly reminiscing.

It was clear that Wesley was remembering the fixation with young Cordelia Chase as well. He set the bottle down. "We need to tell Angel. He knows her better than anyone. I haven't seen her in quite some time."

"I thought you were all part of the Lemonheads. You know, yay team! Angel's Scoobies or whatever you guys are calling yourselves. Rag tag group of brooding heroes."

"Lemonheads?" Wesley shook his head. "That is not important now. What is important is that Angel must be told immediately. If something has taken hold of Cordelia, perhaps during Lorne's spell, we will need to get it out of her as soon as possible. It could be linked with what is occurring in Sunnydale."

"You need me to call Will? She isn't really doing the magic anymore but she might be able to whip something up. Do a spell to see if something is in Cordelia or someone put the whammy on you guys? I bet she can make you glow if you've been hit." He was eager to help, not that he wanted Willow messing with the magicks anymore but Wesley was right, it could be linked to the craziness that was going on in Sunnydale.

"That is quite alright, Xander. I am more than equipped to do such a simple spell. There are also other variables, such as being exposed to Lorne's spell." Wesley rose from the couch, moving back over to his bookshelf. He took several books off and made a second pile on the table. He pushed one of the stacks towards the edge of the table, in Xander's direction.

"I take it that is the not so subtle English thing for take your books and go?" He moved to take the offered books off the table. He knew Buffy needed these but it was late. He could stay the night. If, at the very least, to make sure that Cordy was going to be okay.

"Very perceptive." Wesley said dryly.

"You do know that I can't just run back to Sunnydale, right? Not if this Not-Cordy is connected to The First. And well, because it's her."

"We all care a great deal for Cordelia." Wesley picked the books up, moving towards the door. "Come on then, if you are coming. We need to speak to Angel about this."


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Peripheral (Part Two: Angel)

Title: Peripheral (Part Two: Angel)

Author: xlivvielockex

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action-adventure, humor, bit of angst. It has it all.

Prompts Used: An "ex" visits, mystical circle, Eternal Flame by The Bangles

Summary: Set right after Spin The Bottle, Xander is sent to L.A. on Buffy's orders to get books on how to defeat The First. Once there, he notices that Cordelia is hardly herself.

Notes: I went a little nutty with the style here. The first part is seen through Xander's eyes. The second part through Angel's. The third part through Cordelia's. Total word count: 11,908. HUGE thanks to boynamedsusie who gave up time on Potter weekend to beta for me.

Angel sat in his office, his fingers steepled and pressed against his lips. He was avoiding a frown, which was probably a first. He didn't like the fact that Xander was here. He didn't like it more that Cordelia had admitted they were in love and then took off. Why couldn't she stay? She had her memories; she said they were in love. It was him. He didn't deserve to love her. She deserved someone who could take her out, take her to enjoy the beach, someone who could make love to her.

He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn't hear when Wesley knocked at his door. Wesley had only come back to help Cordelia, so why was he here now? Stealing someone's kid wasn't exactly something you easily forgave, even if the guy did pull you out of a watery tomb.

"It's open." He said gruffly. His mind was still thinking of all the reasons why he was no good for Cordelia. He wanted to run to her, to take her into his arms, tell her how he felt. But she ran. She ran and he had to respect that, keep his distance. If he pushed things, well, he didn't have a right to push things.

Wesley opened the door, Xander hot on his heels. He really wasn't looking forward to what either of them had to say. Xander probably needed some book that Wesley had left here. That was the only reason he could think they were bothering him. That is, until Wesley spoke.

"Xander believes that Cordelia is not…herself. That something may have either taken possession of her body or is trying to look like her."

Angel sat up a little straighter in his chair, lowering his hands down. "What do you mean?"

Xander pushed forward so that he could speak. "When she looked at me, the sparkle in her eyes. It was gone. And that blouse? The blouse?"

It was clear that Xander thought that should be more than enough evidence for why it wasn't Cordelia. He didn't bother to go any further than that.

"I don't know if that is a lot to go on." Angel wanted to believe it though. He wanted to believe that it wasn't Cordelia. That his Cordelia would have hugged him, held him tight, that he would have been able to drink in her warmth. His Cordelia wouldn't have run. Part of his mind, though, quickly rationalized what Harris had said. She'd been through a lot and that was why the sparkle was gone. Her clothing, she didn't know what she liked.

"I know Cordy. And even with no memory, there is no way she would wear pants that you know, get all big at the bottom," Xander gestured vaguely towards his own jeans, "or a flowy shirt like that. That has nothing to do with memory, that is who she is. And when she looked at me, there was something in her eyes. This…darkness." Xander continued since it was clear that the vampire wasn't buying his arguments as easily as Wesley had.

"That was probably just confusion. She just had all her memories rushing back to her." Angel looked to Wesley. "You really believe this?"

"He does have some very good points, Angel. Cordelia ran out of here, wanting to be alone. When was the last time that Cordelia wanted to be alone? Even in her worst times, she always surrounded herself with people."

Angel once more brought his fingers up to his lips. He wanted to believe it. If something had taken over Cordelia, they still had a chance. If something was using her, he had to help her. But he just couldn't quite find the conviction to believe the two men.

"We may be under some spell as well, Angel." Wesley continued. "It could be very possible that whatever has taken over Cordelia or looks like Cordelia is clouding us from seeing it is not her. Perhaps…" He paused.

"Perhaps what, Wesley?" Angel was near a growl, waiting for the former Watcher to continue.

"Perhaps since I have not been here, this thing has been working slowly in your minds. That is why I was more easily able to accept Xander's theory. There is only one way to tell for sure." Wesley put a book in front of Angel, opening it up. He had the page marked, flipping it until it was on the excerpt he wanted.

Angel leaned over to quickly browse the pages. It was written in Latin but he could translate it without even thinking. It was a basic spell to detect traces of magic. He frowned now as he looked up at Wesley.

"What about Lorne's spell?" The more that Wesley and Xander talked, the longer that Cordelia was gone, the more that he began to think that perhaps something was going on.

"We can channel it through Lorne to block out his magical trace. It won't be that difficult to rewrite the spell." Wes answered.

"And I already got Will on speed dial to ask her. Double check it with the witchiest witch of the west." Xander took his cell phone out of his pocket, waving it a little from side to side.

"Get Gunn, Fred, and Lorne, and get working. If something is putting a spell on us, we need to figure out how to remove it and then get Cordelia. The longer this thing is in her body or looking like her, the more damage it might cause."

Wesley picked up the book and moved to the front desk. Xander followed him. He could hear them speaking in low tones. They were discussing the spell but discussing Cordelia as well. Angel knew that if it was something that looked like her, it would be easy. They would just kill it. If something took over her body; however, then he would do whatever it took to get that thing out of her. He had lost her too many times. Now that he knew that she loved him, he wasn't going to ever lose her again.

It was approaching dawn by the time that Wesley and Lorne returned with everything they needed for the spell. Angel had stayed in his office, books around him, taking notes in case something had taken over Cordelia. Possessions could be tricky. Above all else, he didn't want to lose Cordelia.

When he heard Lorne and Wesley setting up in the lobby, he finally came out. He looked at the two men as they drew yet another symbol on The Hyperion floor. "Did you get everything you needed?"

"No worries, Angelcakes. We'll be able to tell if someone put the mystical mojo on us faster than you can say Sinatra at the Sands." Lorne didn't look up from his work as he continued to draw the symbol.

Wesley was in chanting mode, so rather than disturb him, Angel merely stood by, arms crossed over his chest. He watched Xander out of the corner of his eye. If he was right about this, well, Angel was already thinking of a plan to lure Cordelia to the hotel. They would have to trap her in a binding circle. If it was her, really, she was going to be really pissed off. But he knew the real Cordelia would understand.

A movement on the stairs caught his eye. Gunn and Fred. The distance between them was huge. It was easy for him to tell, with the vampire hearing and sense of smell, that they hadn't been intimate in a while. He couldn't worry right now about the relationship problems of his team though. His only focus was on Cordelia. That was his goal. He straightened as Lorne stood up.

"Well, my fellow friends, it is all done. We just need to sit around this circle, sing kumbaya and let Wes there hit me with a bolt of spell." Lorne moved to sit down in the middle of the circle as the rest of the gang assembled around the edges.

Wesley sat across from Angel, but he didn't say a word. He kept the book in his lap, stealing a glance at Fred that was far too obvious. He straightened, beginning to chant once more. A silver sliver of light snaked its way out from the center of the book, swirling its way around each of the members of the circle before it slipped into the center and Lorne. It spun quickly around Lorne, encasing him in the silvery glow. Without warning, it shot out into five points of light, hitting Wesley, Gunn, Fred, Angel, and Xander all at the same time.

Wesley continued the chant as the silvery light lit up the members of the circle, creeping from their middles until it rose to the top of their heads. Above everyone's but Xander's head, a tongue of glittery silver danced. Angel looked at each of the gang in turn with a frown.

"Looks like you guys got whammied by something." Xander said.

Angel was about to say something about the guy stating the obvious when Wesley spoke. His head had momentarily been buried in the book but rose to speak.

"It is very weak, whatever it is. The stronger the spell, the richer the color of the flame. Whatever it is that put the spell on us, it is weak right now." Wesley closed the book, looking to the demon in the center of the circle. "Is it possible that your spell awoke something in Cordelia? Something that would be weak right now?"

"Anything is possible in this cuckoo world, darling."

"What I mean to say is, is there any recorded history of someone returning from the higher realms with a…hitch hiker so to speak?"

"I've never heard tale of anyone coming back from the higher realms. Well, you know, except for…" Lorne trailed off, making a gesture towards Angel. They all had to know who Lorne was talking about. Buffy.

"The next logical step is to trace the source of this spell. Lorne and I were prepared for that. It may not be Cordelia or whatever it is that looks like Cordelia that is controlling this." Wes turned the pages of the book. He pulled a map of the city from its pages, spreading it in the middle of the circle while Lorne stepped out and went to sit by Fred. Fred and Gunn looked too tired to say much, as did Xander.

Angel was forming a plan in his mind as Wes began to chant once more, sprinkling a satchel of magical herbs and sundries over the map. His hands tightened into fists. Connor or not, if this spell lit up where his son and Cordelia were staying, he would charge in there, throw her over his shoulder, and bring her back here.

He watched as the map began to glow across the entire span of Los Angeles until it formed a small dot. He got up from the circle, looking to the rest of the group. "Get some sleep. Whatever it is that has Cordelia or looks like her, we are going to take care of it tonight."

Angel moved to the weapons' cabinet and pulled out a huge sword. He looked at it for a moment and then grabbed a tranquilizer gun as well. He hated to use these things but he didn't want to hurt Connor or possibly Cordelia, if it was really her.

"Angel…" Wes started but stopped as Angel looked at him.

"Yes?" Angel shut the door to the weapons cabinet.

"I will go with you. Distract Connor so you can get Cordelia."

"If I could interject a moment here, muffins," Lorne stood up, looking from Wesley to Angel. "You give me 20 minutes, and I'll give you heroes a surefire charm to keep the magical spells off you."

Angel nodded his head, heading for the basement to take the sewer route. Today was a new day and by sunset tonight, they'd have the truth.

He could hear Wes downstairs with Connor, telling the boy plenty of lies about why they needed to take Cordelia back to the Hyperion, why Connor needed to come along as well. Angel knew his son was just as stubborn as he was, so he had already told Wes to go ahead and tranquilize him if need be. He stood in the doorway of the room that Cordelia was using for her bedroom. He should have known. His head clear now, he could see her movements lacked the grace and beauty that Cordelia usually held. It was almost as if she was a stranger in her own body. Even watching her put away clothes, there was a certain stiffness and unfamiliarity. Why didn't he see it sooner? Why was Xander the one to see what was so obvious?

"Cordelia." He said her name but he knew it wasn't her. He didn't know what this thing's name was. In brief flashes, just a flick of her wrist, he could see Cordelia. Was she struggling to get out? He knew that she had to be fighting against this thing inside of her, this thing that took her over.

When she turned, he could see in her eyes what Xander had seen in the hotel. The light was gone from them. She had always been his sunshine, coming through the bleak rain of his immortal existence. Now it was a pair of stranger's eyes looking back at him. Even when her memory was gone, he could see into her soul, and know it was Cordelia. When it put on her smile, not quite wearing it right, he felt the demon in him screaming for justice, to take back what was his.

"Angel…oh, hi. I wasn't expecting you. What with the whole I want to be alone thing."

"You need to come to The Hyperion." He couldn't manage much more. He didn't want to give the game away. It was getting hard to control his anger though.

"I don't think that is a good idea. I haven't slept yet, barely ate. I want to stay here with Connor. I just…I need some time alone, Angel, to sort through everything. I remember…"

He cut her off sharply. "You need to come with me to the hotel."

He watched as the thing moved to put Cordelia's hands on her hips. It was a move he had seen so many times before. How could he have not noticed those horrible pants she was wearing? They were the wrong cut for her completely.

"Excuse me? What happened to a respectful friendship? I need some space. You have no idea what I have been going through. Everything that is in my head right now."

He saw a flash for a moment, a bit of the sparkle returning to her eyes. He reached for her wrist to pull her close to him. He pulled a bit too roughly, her body falling against his, her warmth hitting his chest like a wave of soft perfumed summer wind. He looked down at her. That sparkle in her eyes, it was enough. He knew that she fought to the surface, fought hard. "We have to go back to the hotel."

She looked confused for a moment and he knew that she might not be fully aware of what the invader was doing to her. He hated to do this. He hid the expression on his face as he plunged the tranquilizer dart into her ass. He watched as her eyes burst with that light, with her soul, for a moment before the creature took over. He held her body as she collapsed. Whatever it was, it still had the resistance of demonized Cordelia. He swept her up into his arms, starting downstairs with her. He only hoped that Wes had taken care of Connor before he got down there.

"Xander, make sure that Connor is quite secure. He isn't like other young men his age. He has superhuman strength."

"I think I know how to tie someone up, Wes. Done it before. If I had to count the number of times I had to tie Spike up…" Xander stopped. "That came out wrong. I meant, because he is evil. And we tie evil up. Also tie up Angel's angsty son. Got it." Xander set to work making sure that Connor was not only handcuffed but also tied to one of the desk chairs in The Hyperion.

Fred was in the middle of the lobby floor and for the third time in so many hours, a symbol was being painted. Cordelia was in the middle of the white circle as Fred used a large paintbrush to draw around her. Lorne was chanting out of a book, following Fred as she moved around. She completed one full circle but didn't let up on her brushstroke until she had made it three times around. She turned to Gunn. "You have all the crystals there?"

Gunn handed them, wrapped in velvet fabric, to Fred. He had been silent, with an ever growing frown, since Angel had brought the unconscious Cordelia back to the Hyperion lobby. He also couldn't help but notice the looks that passed between Wes and Fred whenever they exchanged glances.

Lorne took half the crystals as Fred took the other half, and they started to place them outside the circle. Five points to form a sort of three dimension pyramid if this thing could get through a circle of protection. Satisfied with the work, Lorne took a step back.

Angel had been watching the entire thing. It had been a long time since he or Wes had done an exorcism. And they had no idea what was in Cordelia, so picking the right spell was hard. If they said the wrong word, used the wrong herb, they could lose Cordelia forever.

Lorne looked back to Angel. "I think we are ready to go. If Sleeping Beauty there wants to come to."

Wesley checked his watch. "She should be waking momentarily, if the dosage was correct. I think it might be in our best interest to keep Connor sedated."

"Oh yeah, let me take care of the kid." Xander looked positively giddy at the thought of being able to dose Angel's kid. He barely waited for Angel to give the nod of approval before he was injecting Connor with another small dose of sedative to keep him under.

"We just wait for Barbie there to wake up then?" Gunn asked, looking to Angel instead of Wesley. He had been oddly silent ever since Wesley walked through the door the night before.

"Yes. Once Cordelia wakes, or rather, the thing that has taken over Cordelia wakes, we will need to try to draw it out. When we determine what sort of entity it is, we can see about either binding it or destroying it."

"There is no binding. We are going to get that thing out of her and we are going to kill it, Wes."

Fred was on her knees, just outside of the circle, holding Cordelia's hand. She stroked it gently, whispering words of comfort. "It'll be okay, Cordy. We're gonna take that thing right outta you. You'll see. You'll be good as new, just in time to make fun of people on the red carpet like your usual self. You shoulda come to my paper readin', you would have laughed so hard at the people there. They were all dressed bad. Like something outta one of your fashion police magazines."

Angel knew that Fred would have no doubt continued if Cordelia hadn't begun to moan and move slightly.

"Fred, get away from her." Gunn shouted. He moved to grab Fred up and protect her, even if the emotional distance between them was palatable and ever widening.

Cordelia raised her head slowly, her hands bracing herself against the lobby floor. She groaned as she tried to get up. She was unsteady as she tried to stand. She wavered at first, looking as if she might topple straight over. When she finally got to her feet, she took a moment to look at the people in the lobby. Her eyes passed from Lorne to Wesley to Gunn to Fred to Xander and then finally to Angel. Angel could see that Cordelia was no longer in control. There was a hatred and darkness that burned in her eyes.

"What on earth are you mental midgets doing?" The voice was Cordelia but he could see with crystal clarity, never taking his eyes from her, that this was not Cordelia.

"Game's up. Whatever you are, we know you aren't Cordelia." Angel spoke, giving the sign to Gunn that he and Fred should be at the ready. If this thing was powerful enough to break the mystical binding circle, they would have to act quickly to trap it again. He wasn't giving Cordelia up without a fight.

"Have you taken too many blows to the head, Champ? Cordelia Chase, Queen C. I just got my memory back." She tried to move, to step forward, but found herself up against an invisible wall. She frowned deeply. "Not funny. Now let me out."

Xander leaned over to Wesley. "Okay, I think it is time to be making with the Exorcist stuff. You know, "power of Christ" sort of thing?"

Wesley nodded in agreement. He glanced at Lorne, who moved closer to the circle. Wes waited for Lorne to begin sprinkling a mixture of herbs around the circle before he started to chant. Angel didn't know the tongue, but he knew it was a demonic dialect. He watched as the herbs hit the circle, instantly dissolving with a hiss to form thin grey tendrils of sweet smelling smoke.

The thing, whatever it was that was wearing Cordelia's body, began to panic. It turned quickly, trying to speak to Lorne. "Lorne, please. Can't you see it's me? Cordelia. Can't carry a tune?"

"You could always sing for me now, cupcake." Lorne didn't look up as he continued to walk the circle.

The thing turned its attentions towards Xander. "Xander! You have got to be kidding me here. How can you not know its me? Just…get them to stop this and I swear, I will totally forgive you for lip locking Willow. I mean, you probably turned her into a lez so we are even."

"Hey! I did not turn her into a lez. She was way into me. You can blame werewolf boy for turning her to the dark side." Xander started to protest, to defend himself when Gunn just shook his head at the poor sap.

Finally, the thing looked to Angel. "Please…you are my best friend. You know me better than anyone. It is me, Cordelia. I love you, Angel. You have to get me out of here."

Angel didn't budge. He stood stoic and silent. He did know Cordelia better than anyone. That was exactly how he knew that it wasn't her now. Free of the spell, he knew his Cordelia and this thing wasn't it. If they were wrong and this was some huge cosmic joke, then the spell wouldn't do anything to her. But if they were right, they would know soon enough.

Wes broke the chant long enough to glance over at Xander. "Xander, hold the Tank of Amolah up now."

Xander lifted up what looked like a regular old jewelry box, only bigger. It was carved with symbols, lined with several ancient stones and your run of the mill mystical knick knacks. Plus, it cost a small fortune when Lorne and Wes got it from the occult shop. Between the charms, the Tank, the herbs, and the crystals, Cordelia was going to have to settle for hugs when her birthday rolled around.

The thing in the circle froze like a deer caught in headlights when Xander lifted the Tank. It tried to use Cordelia's body to scramble, to break free from the circle. But it was impossible. The thing was too weak to break the magic.

Wes gave a nod to Xander, and he opened the lid of the box. Angel drew his sword up. The thing might be stronger out of Cordelia then inside of her. He had to be ready to kill it. He would hack it up into a million little pieces and send it to hell in several plastic bags.

With the final words of the spell, light shot out of the box, the strong force almost knocking Xander backwards. He squinted his eyes at the brightness of the power which emanated from the box, turning his head away but holding the box steadfast. The light bathed Cordelia, illuminating her. There were a few seconds of silence as the light seeped into every pore of her body. And then the thing screamed.

Its scream sounded like something rising from the depths of hell, clawing and scraping along the molten walls as it came. It filled every corner of the room, making the walls of the hotel itself shake. The shriek reverberated off every surface, springing around the room like a wayward rubber ball.

Gunn and Fred immediately dropped their weapons, covering their ears. Xander stumbled back once more at the force of the sound. He hunched his shoulders as he tried to cover his ears. Wes cringed, but he stood his ground, watching and waiting for any signs. Lorne winced but he never stopped circling the creature. It couldn't last forever.

And it didn't.

With one final burst of hellish din, the thing that had been possessing Cordelia Chase revealed itself. Angel watched, suppressing his horror, as it emerged from her mouth. It was larger than the whole of Cordelia itself, covered in a greenish light. He couldn't make out a face or a body; but instead, it was merely a writhing mass of tentacles. He waited for Cordelia's body to fall, once the thing was fully out of her, before he spoke.

"Fred, help Lorne get Cordy out of there. Wes, Xander, Gunn, we've got work to do."

Angel waited until Fred and Lorne had pulled Cordelia out of the circle. They had to dodge the beast as it tried to swipe at them with the tentacles. He wasn't quite sure how it could see where they were since he had yet to see any eyes among the writhing mass. Once she was safely away, he charged in, sword held high.

His plan of attack was no plan at all. He used all his anger at this creature to hack at whatever bits he could find. He slashed through the rubbery flesh of its tentacles, only to find five more waiting below. It was like a bramble bush, wild and growing, but it didn't seem to have any other means of defense other than to act as a hydra.

His rage only intensified as he saw Fred hunched over the fallen form of Cordelia, her hands busily working chest compressions as Lorne flooded her lungs with air. If this thing had killed her, being hacked to bits would be the least of its worries.

It seemed like hours of useless cutting and slashing, jabbing and stabbing, before the thing finally settled and stopped fighting back. Angel plunged his sword into the middle of the mass, the beast sending out one final death cry before falling still. He stumbled away from the mass to look at his team. They were beaten and bruised. He would no doubt be amused later about how Xander had been sent flying through the air by one of the tentacles, landing at the base of the stairs. And Gunn's left eye was swelling up nicely where another tentacle had basically punched him Muhammad Ali style. Wes had collapsed back against the railing of the stairs. But Angel couldn't rest, not yet. He rushed to Lorne and Fred, looking from one and then to the other.

"She'll be fine, I think. We gave her CPR, but you better get her to a hospital. She might have some kind of problems inside that we can't see. Probably needs at least an ultrasound and maybe some X-rays, you might even ask them to give her an MRI if that thing was all up in her brains."

Angel reached down and picked up the unconscious woman. "Thanks, Fred. I will make sure they do every test they can on her." He stood up. He didn't say another word as he stepped out of the hotel, heading for his car.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Peripheral (Part Three: Cordelia)

Title: Peripheral (Part Three: Cordelia)

Author: xlivvielockex

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action-adventure, humor, bit of angst. It has it all.

Prompts Used: An "ex" visits, mystical circle, Eternal Flame by The Bangles

Summary: Set right after Spin The Bottle, Xander is sent to L.A. on Buffy's orders to get books on how to defeat The First. Once there, he notices that Cordelia is hardly herself.

Notes: I went a little nutty with the style here. The first part is seen through Xander's eyes. The second part through Angel's. The third part through Cordelia's. Total word count: 11,908. HUGE thanks to boynamedsusie who gave up time on Potter weekend to beta for me.

When Cordelia Chase awoke three days later, she didn't find herself in her apartment. She didn't find herself on some higher plane. And she sure didn't find herself in The Hyperion. She found herself in a hotel room with one hell of a headache, a stiff back, and a feeling like her insides had been ripped out through her nostrils.

It took her almost a full two minutes of blinking and looking dazed before she realized that she wasn't alone in the room. In the guest chair was a figure, hunched over, hands clasped together. She knew that he wasn't breathing because breathing, not exactly a necessity for him.

"Angel?" She reached up to touch her throat when she heard the sound of her own voice. That wasn't right. She sounded like she had been smoking for 50 years straight, washing it down with a glass full of bourbon and razor blades. She sputtered, coughed, and then tried to clear her throat. She was so busy coughing that she failed to see Angel's head snap up and him knock the chair over in an effort to stand and be near her.

He took her other hand, and she could see he was being careful of the IV that was running out of the top of it. She looked to her newfound "buddy". She squinted as she tried to see what drugs they were giving to her. She was hoping it was anti-hangover cure because that was what she felt like she had right now, one hell of a hangover.

"What...what is going on?" She felt groggy still. She wasn't sure if she was drugged or what was going on. All she knew was that she was uncomfortable and this hospital gown was really itchy.

"It's a long story, Cordy. But you are okay. I was worried you weren't going to wake up." She could hear the concern in Angel's voice and it drove her nuts that she couldn't remember why he was so concerned.

"I know I like to sleep in and everything but it is nothing to get this worried about." She saw a pitcher, half wondering if Angel just gotten it to have something to do. She pointed to it with the hand Angel wasn't clinging to. "Can I get some water at least?"

Angel nodded way too emphatically. Like one of those bobble head dolls or something. He damn near knocked over everything, all the flowers and get well cards that lined her room, in his effort to get at that pitcher. He poured her a glass, thrusting it into her hand.

"Easy there, Champ. Though if you break anything, this is probably the place to have it fixed." She took a sip of the water and winced as she felt it slide down her throat. It stung and burned at the same time. It was like someone had rubbed her throat raw with low numbered sandpaper.

"Sorry, it is just. You have been out for three days, Cordy. After everything that happened, I am just glad you are awake." He was looking a little too closely into her eyes. His intense stare caused her to pull back slightly.

"Personal bubble. Hey." She pushed him back gently before she took another sip of water. With each sip, it was getting easier and less hurty.

Angel looked confused but then again, he always looked confused. It was one of his four looks. Confused, dorky, angry, and broody. He really needed to take some acting classes, or at least, get himself to a good therapist to learn to express himself. "You don't remember what happened?"

She paused for a moment. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"You went to the higher realms and then you came back. You had no memory. Lorne did a spell and it awoke something that was hiding in you. It used your body to come down from the higher realms. Xander saw you, he knew it was not you. It did a weak cloaking spell on us but Wes was able to take it off. And we got it out of you, Cordy." He took her hand once more. "I killed it. It was this huge tentacle monster and I killed it."

Cordelia could detect that bit of pride in his voice when he talked about killing it and the way he sort of glossed over the fact it was Xander that knew something was wrong. "Where is Xander now?"

Angel's face fell and she felt horrible that for the moment, she was able to put that look on his face. So he had five looks, so what? "He had to go back to Sunnydale. Buffy is facing something big. I sent everyone else there to help out."

"So…you put me in the hospital and then you sent all my friends away so they couldn't visit?" She raised a brow at him, her look sharp and pointed.

"I just thought…I didn't know…" She watched him as he stumbled for the words. She had to hide her bit of a smile. Big, strong vampire and she could make him stumble like a schoolboy with a crush with a single word. He stopped when she squeezed his hand though.

"It's okay. Big bad evil. Need to save the world. It does no one any good to sit around with Coma Cordy if pretty soon, there won't be a world to live in." She smiled at him, her grin widening as it was matched by his.

"I should get your doctor." She watched him as he reluctantly pulled his hand free from hers. It was almost like he was worried that if he let go, he would never be able to touch her again. She watched him as he walked out the room. He kept stealing glances at her over his shoulder. Did he really think she was going to disappear?

With Angel gone, she looked down at her hands. She looked paler than usual. She also hated the color of these sheets and this hospital gown. She took a moment to check out all the goodies she got. A plant, nice and sensible, that was from Fred probably. A box of luxurious Belgian chocolates, those were from Lorne no doubt. Crossbow, she had to wonder what the nurses thought of that. That was from Gunn. Then there were the flowers, the mountains of flowers and the Get Well balloons. Her parents sent their usual "Cordelia is in the hospital" special. She had seen it before. She didn't need to see the card to know that.

She stopped through as she saw several bunches that looked different from the rest. She swung her legs off the bed, drawing in a sharp breath of air as she felt a jolt of pain. Whatever had taken over her body hadn't taken very good care of it. Her feet touched the floor and for the first time she noticed that someone, probably Angel, had put her slippers on her feet. She wheeled her IV buddy with her over to the grouping of flowers. She reached out to touch them. They were silk. Silk roses, orchids, gardenias, daisies, it was as if someone had cleaned out the entirety of the silk flower store.

"Do you like them? I just thought…they last longer."

Cordelia turned as she heard Angel's voice. She smiled at him. "They are beautiful, Angel. Something to always remind me of the time I was bodyjacked and hospitalized." She laughed softly but stopped quickly as an ache moved through her ribcage. She started to bend over but found herself being quickly supported and ushered back to her bed by one very helpful manpire.

"The doctor will be in to look at you. She said you might be able to come home as soon as tomorrow or the next day."

"Good. I hate these sheets. And can you please bring me some pajamas at the very least? This hospital gown is…breezy and so not my color." She crawled back into bed with his help.

He waited until she was settled before he nodded his head to her requests. She could see the question on his face though. It danced in his eyes and even he, after his years of hiding in the shadows, couldn't hide it from her. Then again, he usually couldn't hide anything from her. She knew him too well.

"Angel, what is it? I can see you are dying to ask me something. I am surprised you aren't jumping around like you have to pee or something."

"It can wait. At least until you are out of the hospital." She knew that tone. It was the Cordelia-Don't-Press-It-But-I-Know-You-Are-Going-To-Press It tone.

She would have too if the doctor hadn't come bustling in with an army of nurses to begin poking and prodding the hell out of her. She didn't even notice as Angel disappeared from the room.

It was two more days in the hospital before Cordelia was released. The doctors wanted to make sure that her three day coma was just a nice restful sleep and wasn't a brain damage inducing fun trip. Once cleared, she was out of there faster than a Chanel suit on Clearance at Barney's.

Angel had been his typical silent brooding self all the way back to the hotel. During his visits to the hospital, she had discovered several things. She found out that she was in the higher realms for months and that Angel was missing as well, being sunk in a steel box in the ocean by his son. She now knew that her apartment was gone but she was confident that she could persuade Dennis to scare out the new tenants. She knew that she could see her friends from the higher realms but when she tried to pull the memories of that time out, she got a splitting headache. They were like the kind that she used to get pre-demonizing visions. She also knew that Angel didn't want to talk about anything that had happened from the time she returned to the moment she woke up in the hospital. She'd get him to talk, it would just take time.

She smiled as she walked into the hotel. It might not exactly be home, but it was a home away from home. She just stood in the lobby, drinking it in. She looked at the floor. A grayish hint of something still lingered on the floor, like the ghost of a memory. She could almost remember, but then her head started to pound. Angel moved past her, going to the answering machine.

"I want to make sure they are okay. Connor went with them." He pressed the button but when he noticed her hand was at her temple, he came back. He put a hand at her lower back, his other arm around her, helping her sit down as the machine played.

"Yo, Angel." Gunn's voice filled the lobby. It was slightly tinny thanks to the ancient piece of equipment that Cordelia was amazed Angel could operate. He probably only knew how since it was older than she was! "Things are tight here. Some crazy priest on the loose but think we got him figured out. You better get here soon though cause Connor is making eyes at all the young girls. Think he might be sweet on Buffy's sister. Me and Wes are heading out to the prison, see if we can't break Faith out. Could use another girl on this. Fred is going to call you at the hospital but hopefully, Barbie is all woken up. Later."

Angel reached over to stop the machine despite the fact there were still two messages. She looked at him. "Why don't you go ahead and call them? I think I am going to go upstairs and take a nice, long, hot bubble bath. You said my stuff was where?"

"Here, I will show you." Once more that hand was on her lower back. Now that she wasn't in so much pain, she could appreciate it. She wondered if he wanted to ask her about Point Dume. If he sat up nights, thinking about what she would have said, what would have happened, if they met up that night. She hadn't been the most clear with the signals there.

He showed her to her room or more accurately, the room that held all her boxes now. She looked at him for a moment. She could still see that question hanging in his eyes. She would MAKE him tell her. Right after some candlelight, some music, and a long soak.

"Thanks, Angel." She paused as she looked at him. "For everything." She slipped into the room, closing the door just a little bit. She heard him head back downstairs, no doubt to call the gang to check in. It sounded like it was serious if they were going to break Faith out.

An hour later and Cordelia felt like a new woman. A good soak in the tub, a little bit of the mix radio station, and all the stress from the body hijacking and hospital funk were cleaned right away. She came out of the bathroom wrapped in her fluffy robe, a towel around her head, and was startled to see Angel standing there. He had a six pack of soda in one hand, a pizza resting on his palm.

"I thought you might be hungry. Sick of all that hospital food."

"Oh, you are seriously my hero right now, Angel." She took the pizza box from him and sat down on the floor, her back to the bed, the box in front of her. She opened it up, inhaling the delicious pizza smell. She saw him smile before he moved to sit down across from her.

"I got your favorite. I remembered what you liked this time." He was still smiling. Still with that slightly shy schoolboy look to his features. He might have been a bloodthirsty killer and a lout, but she knew there was still that bit of a dork in him. And she could bring it out.

She grabbed a slice, devouring it. She had never been so hungry in her whole life. Whatever had taken over her body, it sure didn't like to eat, that was for sure. Plus, the liquid coma diet really hadn't been satisfying. She made sure she chewed, swallowed, and grabbed a soda before she finally decided to speak.

"So how is everyone doing?" She raised a brow, looking at him as she took another huge bite from the pizza. It was hot, gooey, and all together delicious.

"As best as can be expected. There isn't a lot of information about what they are going up against. Some pretty powerful kind of vampire and then these Bringers." He paused for a moment. It was hard to tell if he was thinking or watching her make short work of that slice. "Wes said that Spike is working with them. Has a soul."

"Soul?" Her brow shot up. Her mouth was full with pizza. She swallowed the large bite quickly. "How did he get a soul? Gypsy curse?"

Angel shook his head. "No, not a curse. Africa. At least according to Wesley. And…Buffy is dating him."

She lowered the pizza. She wasn't sure if that was acceptance or pain that was written on his features. She was shooting for pain. "Wow…sorry. Spike. That is just…well, she likes the dead guys apparently."

He looked at her. One of those deep looks where she felt as though he was looking right through her. "If he makes her happy…if she can trust him…I guess a lot has been going on in Sunnydale since I left. A lot…has happened here."

"Mmmm, tell me about it. Demon genocide, killer visions, you going all jerk for a while, portals to other dimensions, that shoe sale on Rodeo. Oh my god, I still can't believe the evil of some of those women. I thought I was going to get stabbed with a Jimmy Choo!" She reached for another slice of pizza.

"It is more than just all of that, Cordelia."

"If you are feeling all butthurt because Spike has a soul and Buffy, don't sweat it. You were the original. He is a total copycat. I mean, look at him. Hello, Billy Idol wannabe." She took another bite of pizza, chewed and swallowed.

"Actually…" Angel stopped. "Nevermind. There is just so much else going on."

"I know. That was the condensed version. I have a feeling we are going to have to be giving that version a lot if the gang there hasn't already. Then again, most of those people in Sunnydale, pretty self-involved." She didn't think this was ironic, coming from her. She had paid her price. The big karmic wheel spun and it crashed right down on her for being so mean. But that was another life.

"That isn't what I mean. What I mean is…"

"What? You know, you are sure good at making with the vague here. Just spit it out. You, me, best friends. Can tell each other anything. Okay, well, not everything. But you know." She popped open another soda when she caught that question in his eyes once more. The question that had been sitting there since she woke up.

"I've moved on from Buffy. I love her, always will. But that was then and this…this is now."

Cordelia lowered the soda midway on its route to her mouth. She had a feeling she knew what Angel was going to say but she didn't want to open her mouth and ruin it. This was the kind of a moment every girl dreams about. When the salty goodness vampire of her fantasies finally grows a pair and says those three little words.

"You've decided to become a monk then?" She had to open it and ruin it. His expression changed in an instant. For someone who was well versed in being footloose and fancy free in his former life, he sure had the chastising look down. Probably because he got it so often.

"That isn't what I am trying to say." The chastising look turned into a bit of a frown. He was going to start brooding all over her pizza and soda if she didn't bring the situation under control.

"Dance with me." She put her soda down and stood up. She wiped her hands off on her bathrobe, moving to an open area of the room.

"What? Cordelia, you know I don't dance." He was getting to his feet though, despite his protests.

"Yeah, yeah. I heard that broken record line before. I saw you dance at Prom so come on. I love this song." She gestured for him to come closer. She could barely hear the music as it floated out of the bathroom but it was enough.

She knew that he probably heard her heart skip a beat as he pulled her into his arms. And that he no doubt heard it speeding up as he held her even closer. She wrapped her arms around him, waiting for him to start leading. She was quiet, letting him speak first. You knew that with the dorky white knight types, they were the ones that had to go charging in, making the first move.

"What song is this? Its nice…well, not my usual kind of music but still…nice." That wasn't the line she was hoping for but it was a start.

"Something old. From the 80s I think. Um…Eternal Flame. It's a good song. Catchy and all ballady. Definitely a school dance staple." She moved gently with him as he finally started to dance. She turned her cheek, resting it against his chest. She had forgotten how nice he always smelled. It had been so long since she was this close to him. It was comforting, in its own way.

He was quiet for what seemed like an eternity but really, it was only the first verse. He finally cleared his throat. It was obvious that he was working up the courage to actually say it. "That…thing. When it took over your body…it said something to me."

"If it said that you should stick to the all black route, then you should have known it wasn't me right away. I keep telling you, little color never hurt anyone." She was nervous. She was scared that like so many other times before, something was going to ruin this moment between them.

"Cordelia, that isn't…and I look good in all black. When you don't have a reflection, it is really hard to color coordinate." She could feel him tensing up. He could carry a frown or disapproving look through his whole body.

"Okay, okay. You are a classic. So what did it say?"

There was that pause again. It hung heavy in the air between them. "I asked it if we were in love and it said we were."

Now it was her turn to pause. She wasn't sure if she should let that wall down, let Angel come crashing through, and lay her soul bare for him. She counted off the seconds between what he said and when she spoke. It was an entire chorus of the song. "It was wrong."

He stiffened. He was bracing himself for rejection. She knew that much. He stopped the dance, pushing her away so that he could look down at her. She looked back up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it was wrong. We weren't in love, as in the past tense. We ARE in love. Aren't we? I love you. And not in the friendly co-worker sort of way. In the we have a hotel with lots of rooms, let's make good use of them way."

She could have lit the entire city of Los Angeles using the wattage from the smile he gave her just then. She was really worried that this was going to be his moment of perfect happiness. She didn't want to have to stake him after a romantic night of pizza, soda, and The Bangles.

He crushed her against his body, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you too, Cordy. I have, for a long time, but everything…"

"I know. The universe just really hated us there for a while." She chuckled but she was interrupted as he bent down and pressed his lips against hers. Her heart thudded in chest, threatening to burst out, run around the room, and possibly get her other organs together for a basket toss and a pyramid in celebration.

She closed her eyes. Her body collapsed against his and for the moment, she lost all sense of time. Her heart was pounding so loud in her ears, the blood rushing to parts entirely below her waist, that she almost forgot that she had to breath. She was holding her breath. She was praying that this moment would never end. He slowly pulled away from her, looking down at her.

"You are amazing." That was all he said, all he needed to say, before his lips were once more pressed to hers. She moved her body closer to his, wanting to have its every inch touching him, even with the barrier of clothes.

Then her brain clicked on. It was a siren, screaming at her at full volume. She had to be careful. Angel got too happy and she was going to be in a world of trouble. She pulled away from him, albeit reluctantly.

"I am really enjoying myself. Really. But we have to be careful."

He slowly pulled further away from her. He nodded his head. At least he understood.

She touched her lips lightly. She could still feel the ghost of him there. It still tingled against her lips and caused her to smile. "But damn, you are a great kisser."

He grinned. Once more with that boyish grin and just a hit of embarrassment in his eyes. "You too."

"I think maybe I need to finish my pizza and then we need to get to bed. We have a lot of packing to do tomorrow and some driving." All she could think about was kissing him though. It was taking over her brain. Well, maybe a little before bed make out session wouldn't hurt anyone. She was the queen of self-control. She didn't give into Xander, she could restrain herself with Angel. Especially when it was more than her reputation on the line, it was her very life.

"Packing? Driving?" He looked confused. Typical male, it didn't take much to confuse them. When they were set in park, it was hard to throw them into reverse.

"Yeah, we need to head up to Sunnydale. First, help the Scoobies defeat this evil. I am sure The Powers will send me a vision of what to do. Second, get Spike to spill about his soul thing. Third, hop a plane to Africa, get you souled up, and then make love until we are too exhausted to remember our own names. So, come on. We've got work to do."


End file.
